Legerdemain
by TeaDanceMacabre
Summary: Gritty, realistic FrostIron pairing. Set after the events of Avengers Assemble. Will contain hardcore scenes in later chapters.
1. Haunted By The Thought Of You

**Chapter 1 - Haunted By The Thought Of You**

_Legerdemain (n)_

1. sleight of hand.  
2. trickery; deception.  
3. any skillful, artful trick.

Tony stood with his hands on either side of the counter, cold water running down the drain. He cupped his hands underneath it, ignoring the shock of the iciness hitting his skin as he splashed it against his face. He gasped for air, reaching to the side for a towel as he looked up at his reflection in the mirror.

Loki stood behind him, grinning. Tony stood straighter, taking a deep breath. He wasn't scared this time and he didn't jump. He stared at the reflection for a moment and then cast a glance over his shoulder. He was alone in the bathroom. Of course he was. When he looked back to the mirror there was only him.

"I've got the CT scan results!" Pepper shouted from the other room.

"Yeah." Tony called back, drying off his face with the towel.

The first time he'd seen Loki was two days ago in the reflection of his Iron Man suit. Since then he'd been seeing him in the backs of spoons and the bottom of glasses – hell, he even saw his freakin' reindeer horns in the shadows.

"You know, it's about time." He said, leaving the bathroom and walking over to her on the other side of the office. "Because I have a bottle of champagne on ice –"

"You know what the doctor said. No alcohol until the results are in." Pepper chastised immediately.

He stepped closer to her and nuzzled her neck. "Well you'd better get them open then, because I'm in the mood for celebrating."

"Oh really?" She laughed.

"Mm-hmm."

"And what would we be celebrating?" She asked as she tore into the envelope.

"Well, you know, I did save the world." He said, walking over to the champagne and cracking open the bottle with a loud bang, ignoring that look she gave him, eyebrows in the air, that whole 'what do you think you are doing' look. He just gave a small smirk, turning his back on her and pouring the drinks as she scanned through the results. Ever acting indifferent to anything important.

"Well, I think you had a bit of help. The Avengers saved the world." She shot back while she flicked through the pages.

"I… I flew a nuke through an open portal into space." He said, two glasses in hand as he walked back over to her. "And I seem to recall trying to contact someone that didn't pick up their cell."

"Are you going to keep going on about that? You're fine."

She put the papers down and took the glass offered to her. "To saving the world."

"The results came back normal?" He asked, clinking his glass against hers.

"Yeah."

He gave a little crooked grimace, setting his glass down without drinking and flicking through the documents himself. "You know, I don't know why they can't just email this stuff like every normal person these days, I mean what, are we in the seventeenth century or something?"

"Well, they're confidential medical documents and I guess… emails can be hacked –"

"Oh yeah, because no one could just pick this up and walk away with it." He replied, cutting her off. She stayed quiet, staring at him. She knew him better than anyone. She knew that given the right amount of silence he'd end up blurting out whatever was on his mind and she was right.

"You know, I'm starting to think we should have done that MRI scan."

Pepper frowned, her eyes still trained on the back of his head. "But we agreed that the metallic field could interrupt the shrapnel in your body. Jarvis said –"

"Yeah, I know what Jarvis said." Tony snapped, throwing the papers back down onto the table and sweeping up his glass. On the surface of the champagne, Loki was gleaming at him, laughing at him. His eye twitched and he took a long gulp.

Pepper set her glass down. She was getting worried and when she was worried she was annoying. It was pretty sexy too, but still annoying. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no." He replied quickly, shaking his head. "It's just… I just think… I just like to be thorough, that's all." He finished feebly. One word about his hallucinations and she'd starting using words like 'post-traumatic stress' and 'psychiatrist' and the press would have a field day.

"There has been a security breech, sir."

If the interruption hadn't been so ominous, Tony would have thanked him for the change of subject. "Security breech? What do you mean a security breech?"

"There is an unauthorised person on the top floor."

Tony and Pepper shared a look. "Well who is it? I mean, how did he get in?" Tony asked, making his way toward the elevator.

"Wear the suit!" Pepper called after him. Tony just cast her a glance that said 'oh please, I don't need the suit'.

"Our system scans show it is Mr. Steve Rogers. Entry point unknown."

"Oh great…" Tony sighed under his breath, riding the elevator to the top floor. Hadn't they seen enough of each other already? What did the good captain want now, a lecture buddy?

The doors slid open and Tony stepped out, not even bothering to look in Steve's direction as the lights flickered to life. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the captain lounging on a chair but damned if he was going to claim one ounce of Tony's attention before he'd had a drink. His test results had come back clear, hadn't they? Maybe a drink was what he needed. "You know…" He began, bending down to reach for the scotch and scooping some ice into a glass. "Most people like to call. You know, phone ahead? Some people – and I know, this is crazy – some people actually wait to be invited before entering someone's home. I'm just saying…"

"Oh, but I was invited." Steve replied. Tony finally looked up at him. All biceps and blonde hair. He even managed to make casual wear look patriotic.

Tony almost immediately decided that Steve was drunk. Or maybe he'd overdosed on those steroids of his. Either way he was just slumped in the seat, legs wide apart. He was grinning widely. Had Tony ever seen him smile before? He didn't think so. Inwardly he was wondering how long it would take him to convince the captain to leave. Perhaps he should have worn the suit…

"Umm… no." He said, sweeping up his glass and stepping around to the front of the counter. "I'm pretty sure I'd distinctly remember inviting you round and I'm also pretty sure it's something I'd never do. Wait, what are you drinking?"

Whatever it was looked disgusting. It was a kind of murky black colour but at the same time it looked watered down. It definitely appeared to be something that should have been drunk out of a pint glass but Steve had opted for a tumbler and had thought it a good idea to add some ice.

"It's absinthe… and Guinness." Steve replied, his voice thick and croaky. He sounded ill. "It's actually quite fantastic. You should try some."

"Yeah, and maybe you should try… not having some?"

Steve tilted his head to one side, taking his time to enjoy another slow swig. "Is this your best attempt at hospitality?"

"Well you know, I kind of figured you were out winning wars or whatever it is that you do. And I'm busy, so…"

"Oh, I like this." Steve grinned, standing with his glass still in hand and walking up to him. Tony didn't flinch or appear in any way threatened, he just stayed casually propped against the bar and took a sip of his own drink. "You truly have no idea, do you?"

"Jarvis, detect Steve's alcohol levels." He rubbed his eyes, greatly resisting the urge to drag Steve outside and throw him from the top of the building. "…Jarvis?"

"He can't hear you." Steve grinned madly, swirling the vile contents of his glass around in his hand.

Tony frowned and actually set his glass down then, pushing past Steve and looking at the ceilings and walls. "What did you do? You wouldn't even know how to change a fuse. Is this SHIELD? Is that what this is about?"

Steve giggled to himself and took another large gulp. He made to put the glass down but thought better of it and drained its contents completely before arrogantly walking around the bar to pour himself another.

"Oh, SHIELD, please…" Steve taunted, eyes gleaming with life. Tony was leaning towards the steroids. "A self-confessed genius and that is the best your mind can come up with?"

"Well, I know you couldn't have done this. And as the poster boy for America I can't think who else you would be working for. But…" Tony paused, walking back towards the bar and grabbing his scotch, leaning on his elbows and staring hard at the blonde in front of him. Steve stared back just as intently. "The funny thing is that you managed to break in, completely undetected – which is near impossible, I might add – then you were picked up on the sensors and now that I'm hear Jarvis has been disabled again. So you wanted my attention… and you had the ability to come in and do whatever the hell you wanted and you just stopped for a drink?" Tony asked, his voice thick with sarcasm.

Steve's grin widened and that just looked so wrong on the stoic, serious Captain America. "It was a drink that was offered to me."

A slow smile spread over Tony's face and his eyes darkened, his body hardened and eventually he straightened up, smirking. There was no humour in his face though, he was preparing for a fight. "That's really funny because I seem to remember you being dragged off by Thor on a lead. So whatever kind of joke this is, I'm not buying it." He said, turning his back on the blonde and walking away. Maybe there was something wrong with him. Maybe drinking had been a mistake. Could this all just be a hallucination?

"Jarvis, get Pepper for me, tell her something's wrong."

"I told you, he can't hear you." Steve replied.

"Yeah? Well, I don't believe you!" Tony shouted, his ever-present mask of indifference cracking slightly.

Steve took another gulp and then left his glass behind, smiling almost apologetically. "This is because of those reflections isn't it? I was just having a bit of fun really. The suit. The mirror. The champagne…"

Tony swallowed, frozen to the spot. "It's not possible."

"Isn't it?" He asked, his voice alight with a type of thrill that had never graced Steve's dulcet tones before. "You know, I have trouble deciding on my favourite part…" Steve was standing right behind him now but Tony didn't turn around. The blonde leant over him, lips next to his ear, leaving the scent of Guinness and absinthe heavy on the air. "It could have been the part when good old Captain America suggested attaching a muzzle to Loki and no one questioned why. Or maybe it was the part when we all sat around a greasy table, awkwardly eating disgusting food while Captain Rogers was chained and gagged in prison, waiting for my dimwit brother to take him back to Asgard."

"Prove it." Tony demanded immediately, then hesitated. When he built up the nerve to turn slowly around, it wasn't Steve any more. The man before him was taller, paler and was, without a doubt, infinitely better company. Tony let out a slight laugh. He had to hand it to the guy, he was more clever than they'd given him credit for.

"Well done." Tony said, clapping sarcastically. Loki's eyes narrowed. "You don't think Thor will notice something strange when Steve starts spouting the national anthem?"

"Oh, I don't doubt it." Loki laughed, walking away and jumping to sit up on the bar, sweeping his drink back up as he did so. "As soon as they returned to Asgard his disguise would have failed. They already know."

Tony took his glass and sat in the seat Loki had originally been occupying. "So, why haven't they come back for you yet? They have the Tesseract, why are they letting you get away with it?"

Loki smirked as though they'd just got to the good part. "I have been to worlds they don't even know exist. I was gifted with ancient knowledge. They know not how to use it. Eventually Odin may be able to summon enough power for Thor to have another visit and if he has any hope of returning with me, he'll have to bring the Tesseract with him."

"So, what?" Tony asked, indulging Loki's fantasy. "You think you'll be able to steal it and then… what?"

"Oh no." Loki laughed. "Thor knows what your people planned to do with that power. The risk of bringing it back here is too great. They will have to search long and hard if they hope to find a way of capturing me now. Besides…" Loki murmured, his eyes darkening. "I have bigger problems to worry about than them."

"Well, I'm touched." Tony said, raising his glass as though toasting him and taking a sip. "Really, I feel honoured."

Loki paused for quite a while, trying to understand the train of thought. His smooth features slowly pulled down into a frown. "Why?"

"I'm just so flattered that you chose to spend your last night of freedom with me. Because you know if you're trapped here, it's going to be as a prisoner of war, right?"

Loki could hardly contain his glee. "That is foolishness. How could I be a prisoner of war when I am Captain America? The symbol of hope to all you petty mortals."

"Yeah, except you're not."

Loki could not resist the urge to show off. Sliding from the counter his features morphed and changed and once again he was the blonde pinnacle of justice America had fallen in love with, complete with the flashy patriotic suit. When he opened his mouth to speak, it was Steve's voice filling the room. "What's the matter, scared of a little lightning?" He said in a perfect imitation of what Steve had asked Loki while the three of them were in the plane together.

Tony scratched his face idly, trying to find a flaw in the façade. "You're not going to be able to keep that up."

"Keep what up, soldier?"

"Keep – no… no. Don't… he wouldn't call me that."

"Mr. Stark?"

"Well, yeah that's more like it. Wait, no, this is insane! There is nothing stopping me from just telling everyone who you are."

"Of course not. But how would you prove it?" He asked, changing back into Loki and looking like was having altogether too much fun. "Please don't tell me you're going to use those infallible machines. Machines that can't even detect someone walking in through the front door."

"Your DNA –"

"Is a perfect replication of the good Captain's." Loki interrupted.

Tony sat with his head slumped in his hand, just staring. "So, why reveal yourself to me?"

"I'm armed!" Came a woman's voice from the elevator as the doors slid open. Pepper. "So… so don't try anything!"

* * *

_Author's Note: Please review! It makes the muses write faster ;)_

_It is the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always review.  
_

_Ehehehe.  
_


	2. The Art Of Poisoning

Tony's eyes flew wide as Pepper entered the room brandishing a glass bottle and looking more than a bit frightened. His head darted back to Loki, either about to tell him not to speak or to stay hidden but Loki was already pushing past Tony, blonde hair and biceps back in place.

"It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am. It was not my intention to alarm you, please accept my apologies." He said, holding out his hand for her to shake.

A small smile crept over her face as she looked between him and Tony, trying to do that 'psychic conversation' thing she did that only she could understand. She accepted his hand. "Oh, Captain Rogers. It's a pleasure to meet you too, Tony didn't tell me you were stopping by."

"Tony didn't know he was stopping by." Tony intercepted, standing between the two and forcing them to break contact. "Pepper…" He muttered in a quiet tone, pulling her away by the arm and out of hearing range (he presumed) of Loki. "What are you doing here?"

"Jarvis said he was having trouble accessing surveillance and you didn't take the suit so I thought you might be in trouble." She whispered back. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"Honestly? I'm wondering the same thing." Tony replied, falling into the habit they had of running two different conversations at once. "So you came up here and planned to do what exactly?"

"Well… I was going to knock them out. I didn't know who it was so I just grabbed the bottle and ran. What does he want, is he here on SHIELD business?"

"Wait, hold on a minute, what happened to the champagne?" Tony asked and as usual, he ignored her questions in favour of his own, usually trivial concerns. Pepper was used to it.

"What do you mean?" She stalled.

"The champagne. There was champagne in that bottle. What happened to it?"

"I… I poured it down the drain." She admitted, pressing her lips together nervously.

"You…" Tony paused, rubbing his face roughly. "You poured it down the drain?"

"Well I had no choice! Jarvis couldn't get hold of you and I didn't know who was up here!"

"Yeah, but that was quite an expensive bottle so…"

"Sorry, are you two married?" Steve called from his spot a few feet away. His face was smooth and sweet but his eyes were practically on fire. "I didn't mean to disturb your evening."

"Oh no, we're not married." Pepper returned, smiling warmly. She took it as a genuine question; only Tony saw it for what it was – a personal jab from Loki and a reminder that there were more thought provoking issues at hand than wasted alcohol.

"Yeah, shouldn't you be going, Steve?" Tony prompted fixing Loki with what he hoped registered as a threatening glare.

"Oh, no!" Pepper protested. "We were just celebrating the Avengers' success! You should stay and join us, Captain! Shouldn't he, Tony?"

"No."

"He means 'yes'." She said, giving him The Look. The 'you can argue and be as rude as you like but I am not letting this go and you will only succeed in getting yourself into trouble with me' look. He rolled his eyes.

The captain's smile spread slowly into a grin. On the outside it seemed that Steve was admiring the chemistry between the couple and being warmed by it, letting it touch him. In reality, Loki was restraining himself greatly, putting everything he had into not cackling madly and giving the game away. "You can call me Steve, ma'am." He said, tilting his head courteously, earning an even more exaggerated eye-roll from Tony. "It would be my pleasure to join you in celebration."

"What he meant to say was 'I'd love to stay for a drink'. Wasn't it, Cap?" Tony taunted, unable to resist prodding Loki in return for his overformal way of speaking. The corner of Loki's mouth twitched but he stopped it before it could turn to a smirk. "He started the party without us so he's a little…" Tony said to Pepper, pulling the universal _oh-dear _face for 'he's already drunk and has no idea what he's saying'.

"Well that's fine." Pepper laughed kindly. "I had another glass of champagne while I was waiting, anyway."

"Really? Really, you had another glass without me and then poured it all away? Seriously?"

Pepper cleared her throat. "Why don't we go somewhere more comfortable? It's cold up here."

They ended up in one of the many lounges. It had its own personal bar, smaller than the one on the top floor but it still had all the Guinness and absinthe needed to create Loki's drink of choice so there were no complaints. And he would have complained, if only to see the irritation on Tony's face. Manipulation always had been more fun to Loki than physical violence.

Tony was nursing a scotch but not drinking it, watching 'Steve' and Pepper chatting animatedly. Pepper was tipsy and as such was being overfriendly and loud. Tony wasn't sure if Gods could get drunk, but if his DNA _was_ a perfect replication of Steve's – as he stated earlier – then the alcohol must have been affecting him. Perhaps if Tony could getting him appropriately inebriated, Loki's mask would slip for Jarvis and Pepper to both witness.

That was the one positive of Pepper's plan to enjoy drinks with the captain. Jarvis could see and hear them now. It would have been far too suspicious for Jarvis to fail wherever Steve was and Loki knew it.

"Guinness and absinthe?" Pepper giggled. "That sounds terrible! I thought you would have been more… old-fashioned. We have brandy you know?"

"Well…" Loki answered, completely in his element. He was making Tony's blood boil. "After I underwent surgery alcohol just didn't have the same effect on me. I enjoy the taste of this ale but I find it needed a bit of an extra kick to really make an impact on me."

Pepper was listening to him intently, nodding seriously as he spoke. She was really getting to like him. "Did it hurt?"

"Oh, _please_." Tony groaned, head sinking into his hand.

"What?" Pepper asked, her voice ever so slightly thicker than usual. "Why are you so miserable tonight? You two fought together! You should at least respect each other!"

"Well, we definitely fought together…" Tony said, earning a grin from Loki, his face half-hidden behind his glass of murky brown liquid. "And I do have respect for him."

Loki arched a blonde brow at that comment and Tony was staring directly into his eyes. Pepper didn't realise she'd become part of the décor. "I just don't exactly appreciate the way he handles situations and how he happily sacrifices innocent people for his own gain."

"HEY!" Pepper shouted, jumping up from her seat. "That's enough! Captain Rogers has been through a lot! Yes, he may have lost soldiers along the way but it was for a good cause! It wasn't _his_ fault. And if you don't want to get on my bad side I suggest you apologise!"

Steve leant forward then, touching Pepper's arm softly. "It's okay ma'am, really. I'm more than used to Tony's opinions –"

"No. I want him to apologise." Pepper insisted, interrupting him. Loki glanced between the two of them. He was unreadable behind Steve's stolen skin in that moment which was why Tony was more than a little alarmed as Steve stood, his hands on Pepper's arms and turning her towards him.

"Please, Ms. Potts, I don't want to cause any rifts between the two of you."

"Umm, actually – you touching her? It's not okay." Tony said, standing with his drink in hand.

"Oh my God!" Pepper shouted, her brow creased with disgust. "I can't believe you tonight! What is your problem?"

"Problem? I don't have a problem. I'm just not entirely comfortable with him running his hands all over you."

"Oh yeah? Well I don't complain every time y-you _drool_ whenever a pair of breasts walks by!"

"Well, I mean, to be fair, it isn't every pair. It's just the really… firm… look, I think we're missing the point here."

Pepper made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat. The alcohol was only making her darkening mood worse and if Steve had actually _been_ Steve he would have hastily tried to retreat but Loki was happy to watch it unfold like a terrible family drama, occasionally prodding the characters when things became dull.

"The point is that at least Steve is a gentleman!" She yelled but her back was to him; at that moment, she was stood directly in front of Tony. The fake captain was just the topic of conversation at that point, a catalyst for her to vent her every frustration that she'd never had the chance to release before. It wasn't about Steve, it was about Tony.

"He's– buddy, help me out here." Tony said, looking past Pepper towards Loki, whose eyes instantly gleamed at the invitation. "No, on second thought, just… refrain from speaking. Listen, Pepper, I think you should calm down."

"Calm down?!" She screeched.

"Yeah, I mean… you're acting a little…" He trailed off, pulling an expression that was a kinder way of saying 'you've turned into a bit of a crazy bitch and it's getting scary'. The meaning behind the face wasn't lost on her, or perhaps she was just still seething at being rebuked by him.

"That's it! I'm officially done with you!" She said, turning and stomping towards the elevator.

"Hey wait…" Tony said, jogging a few steps after her. "When you say officially, do you mean –"

The elevator doors closed and she simply glared at him without answering.

"Oooh… I had no idea you were so popular with the ladies." Loki taunted, still using Steve's voice for Jarvis' sake.

"Yeah, you can cut the bullshit now. Are you happy?" Tony said, louder than normal, hand outstretched to the elevator, indicating the personal damage that had just been done.

"I think we should go back upstairs." Loki grinned, stepping past Tony and pushing the button, waiting for the lift to return.

"No, seriously, are you happy now? Don't you have better things to be doing with your time?" Tony asked, storming to stand by his side, furious but knowing he wouldn't get any straight answers from Loki before the mask had come off.

The elevator ride was awkward at best. Tony stood slumped in the corner, arms folded, glaring angrily at the wall and Loki stood straight in the middle, trying to keep a check on his smirk. The moment the doors pinged open, revealing the top floor, Loki got out and stretched as he morphed back into his own body.

"He's all muscle that man, it's quite a weight." Loki complained, his face a smooth veneer of innocence, knowing it would irritate Tony further.

"What the hell is your problem?" Tony asked, marching towards him. His wall of sarcasm and witty insults had fallen, now he was just angry and not even thinking to hide it. "Is this some kind of really petty revenge? Because I have to warn you, it's completely pathetic."

Loki spun towards him and they were only standing a foot apart from each other. "Oh I agree. It is looking pretty pathetic from where I'm standing."

Before the God could take another breath, Tony had slammed his fist into Loki's jaw. Loki reeled, quite taken aback as he stumbled slightly, pressing a hand to his face as he regained his footing. "That's quite impressive." He said, opening and closing his mouth to test the damage. "Not quite the same effect without the suit but an admirable attempt all the same." He grinned. Tony raked his hands through his hair, rapidly losing his ability to handle the situation.

"Right, that's it. I've decided – I'd like you to leave. Get out."

Loki's eyes narrowed playfully and he tilted his head to the side. "Is that really the best idea you've had? I mean, I can only imagine what the public you care so much about would think. Most already think you unstable; unworthy of the technology and power you possess. Even your friends over at SHIELD hesitate before calling for your help. Will a fistfight with America's favourite mascot really serve you well?"

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose and turned away, scowling and muttering under his breath. "I cannot be stuck with him. This cannot be happening." He decided he preferred it when he thought he was having hallucinations.

"But… in answer to your question…" Loki began, lounging in the nearest chair and making himself quite at home, just so he could savour the distress on Tony's face upon turning around. "This isn't some attempt for revenge. I have bigger problems to worry about than a handful of mortal experiments."

"Well, those 'mortal experiments' kicked your ass." Tony shot back, quickly turning to face him. Loki was disappointed that his expression wasn't the picture of suffering he'd hoped to see. And upon being reminded of his defeat at the hands of those so beneath him he bit his tongue, gritting his teeth as he looked away, silently trying to regain his momentum.

"And yet I walk free…" Loki mused, pinpointing his strongest argument before looking up to meet Tony's eyes. "There is something sorely wrong when the 'world's mightiest heroes', as you so falsely put it, don't even realise they're dining with the God they were fighting against; meanwhile their captain is bound and gagged."

Tony realised then that in words they were evenly matched. Loki had quite a tongue on him, and Tony's wit was always his go-to form of attack, even in court hearings. So there was only one thing left to do – hit Loki where it hurt. Where he knew it would really hurt.

Tony drew himself up to his full height, one hand on his hip as he sized Loki up. Loki's eyes narrowed slightly, trying to guess what was going through Tony's mind at that point. "Yeah." He said, giving a small and bitter laugh. "Maybe you're right. But at least we're all independent people that can stand on our own two feet. We're not just some child with DADDY ISSUES running around and throwing a TANTRUM!"

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME IN SUCH A WAY?!" Loki yelled at the top of his voice, jumping to his feet and charging forward until there was only two inches at most between their faces. Loki's breath was cold. He had the height advantage but Tony didn't let himself look intimidated, he stared directly back as Loki's gaze flickered between Tony's eyes, trying to read everything behind them. "You and I are not so dissimilar." He spat, his voice reduced to a whisper which somehow seemed more threatening than when he shouted. He spoke in a rush and every word struck Tony like a barb. "You have a whole host of 'daddy issues' of your own. Hiding behind your father's empire in the hope that he might one day love you. But he never did. Oh yes, Barton gave your whole dirty history to me. Creating machines like humans because you are too inept to keep any company that could abandon you, naming them, giving them personalities and all the while dressing up and making play you are a hero." Loki grabbed Tony's face then, in a grip hard enough to force the man to tiptoes. "This is your suit. Behind your money and metal you are nothing more than an unloved little boy and a wretch –"

Tony's hands darted to Loki's throat in a rage and fury that flooded him like a tsunami, everything he tried to deny and repress rolling back to light, everything that he worked so hard to forget and build upon torn apart. He felt sick, like he could feel the waves crashing in his stomach. His head hurt and his mouth was dry. The time for words were over, Tony was beyond speech and if he'd had the suit he would have crushed the so-called God until he was nothing more than a pile of flesh and organs splayed across the floor. His grip on Loki was tight, brilliantly tight, he could see the pain he was causing, see Loki's face turn from red to purple. Tony dug his nails in and if he could he would start tearing Loki to lumps of meat. There was a blue glow coming from Loki's hands but Tony ignored it, his hatred funnelled into this one simple act of destroying the monster in front of him. Loki's eyes started to water, becoming bloodshot and then red, his skin changing from purple to a more sinister blue and then all of a sudden Tony was in agony, his mind could hardly comprehend the pain and he jumped back from the God, looking down at his blackened and cracked fingers and then back up to Loki. The blue faded neatly back to his normal flesh tone and he was gritting his teeth, turning away, looking entirely disgusted.

There was a tense moment of silence as Tony panted heavily and Loki clenched and unclenched his fists. The tension was thick between them, emotion too raw in the air – until Tony shattered it.

"What the _hell_ was that?"

* * *

_Loki: I come with glad tidings, of a chapter written faster._

_Fury: Written faster how?_

_Loki: Reviews. Reviews are the muse's greatest power. Once you review and hit 'post', you shall know faster updates._


	3. Extraordinary

Loki was still turned away from him, standing stiffly. When it became obvious he didn't plan to answer, Tony asked him again.

"What the hell just happened?"

Loki was silent for a few moments, before walking further away, over to the window. "It is nothing that concerns you, mortal."

"Oh, so we're back to the whole 'mortal' thing now, are we?" Tony asked, moving closer to him. His fingers were sore and upon examination, he saw blood and skin beneath his nails. Whatever Loki had done to his hands, the fingertips felt numb so at least he could easily ignore the pain.

"Thor said you were adopted; he didn't say you were –" He stopped short as Loki quickly spun around, feral and livid and Tony knew he had to pick his words carefully. Not entirely his forte, so he just kind of mumbled his words and tripped over them in a rush. "A crazy, blue, subzero kind of alien monster that burns people's flesh off and gets possessed by Satan for a short while."

Ooh, he hated himself right then, he really did. He couldn't help it, it just kind of came out. What the hell was wrong with him? "Different! That's the word I was looking for. Different. Just… scratch all the others." He added, his face somewhere between an awkward smile and a grimace; his brow knit and teeth clenched.

A slow smile spread on Loki's face and then he just… laughed. He couldn't help himself, he tried to contain it but it just burst out of him. He couldn't stop grinning. "That… is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard."

"And you have Thor for a brother." Tony shot back immediately. He just could not keep a check on himself, if he thought of something to say he had to blurt it out. "Have you heard that guy? I mean, what the hell are Bilgesnipe?"

Loki scoffed, still grinning. "Oh that brute spent his every waking moment hunting Bilgesnipe. I preferred learning."

"Yeah, well… I'm a bit of a genius myself." Tony smirked and he turned his back on Loki to pour them both fresh drinks.

"Self-confessed, I hear." Loki said, following him back into the room. Tony gave him a look that said, 'well, obviously'.

"All geniuses are self-confessed. If you don't know you're a genius then you're clearly not a genius."

"An interesting notion." Loki said, sitting on a bar stool as Tony mixed the Guinness and absinthe, shaking his head at the weirdness of it before passing it over. The change of atmosphere had come around suddenly and neither of them questioned it, because to question it would be to shatter it. It was an unspoken agreement between the two of them that for the moment, they would both feign normality. Because after the shock, the games, the shouting, the fighting and insulting – normality was one of the few things that remained at their disposal.

"Why does he speak like that though? I mean, you sound a bit weird sometimes but he's like… stuck in the sixteenth century or something. It's _constant_. I've never even seen him out of those Asgardian robes he wears. At least you know how to look good in a suit but with him a small part of me was always waiting for him to burst into opera or something."

Loki laughed loudly, grinning as he held onto his glass. Then his expression dropped slightly, fell into a smoother position as his smile slowly faded. His eyes darted up to meet Tony's, almost timidly. "What is 'opera'?"

Tony smirked slightly, opening his mouth to answer and then closing it again, bemused. "You know what? I'm going to show you." He stated, putting his drink down and stepping out from behind the bar. "Jarvis, how –" He started, cutting himself short as Loki looked blankly around the room. "Oh, that's right. You killed him."

Loki quirked his head to the side slightly, taking a sip of his drink. "Fear not, Anthony. He is alive and well downstairs."

Tony sucked breath in through his teeth, wincing. "Now, if this is going to work dear, 'Anthony' has to go." He jested, wanting to turn away but almost frozen from how bloody awful his full name sounded. He shuddered, continuing toward the elevator. "You coming, Blue?"

"_Blue_?" Loki repeated, following Tony. "That seems a tad insensitive."

"Well, after that whole 'ant/boot' spiel you did, so does adding the word 'ant' to the beginning of my name."

Loki giggled slightly. "That was quite a good analogy though, was it not?"

"Yeah, it was pretty good. Did you make it up on the spot or did you plan for it?"

"No, I just made it up." Loki grinned. There was a slightly longer pause as the elevator took them down. "This is quite strange."

"Totally weird." Tony agreed. The silence stretched on. "Shouldn't you be a bit… blonder?"

"Oh, of course." Loki answered, morphing into Steve's body.

"You deactivated Jarvis in the elevator, right?"

"Of course."

"Of course." Tony nodded.

The silence stretched on, the two of them glancing toward each other every now and again. Tony stepped out first, they were in the garage and he was admiring his vast collection of cars, wondering which to choose from.

"I'm guessing you're a Tesla Roadster man, am I right?" Tony grinned.

Loki looked quite alarmed, an interesting expression for Captain America to wear. The trouble was that Loki often didn't understand Midgardian references – and neither did Steve – but Loki had no way of knowing which references he shouldn't understand. Tony knew that full well, it was the reason he'd asked – to drive home the point that being Steve wasn't going to be easy – that he'd make sure of it – if only for his own amusement.

Or perhaps to reveal him.

"Hop in, soldier." Tony said, smirking privately to himself as he slid into the driver's side and slammed the door behind him. The car had no roof… Loki wasn't entirely certain if he should find that unusual so he refrained from commenting.

Tony delighted in playing AC/DC full blast throughout the entirety of their journey. Loki stared off to the side. He wasn't guarding his expression, but he was inadvertently a dead ringer for Steve's 'I have no idea what's going on here' look. Every so often Tony would catch sight of his face and just start giggling to himself and Loki would look over, unable to see the joke and wondering if it was perhaps a nervous tick.

When they arrived at the Met Opera, Tony locked his car and strode forward like he owned the place. Loki was looking in all directions as though trying to spot traps or memorise escape routes. Tony walked over to the counter, fishing his wallet from his pocket.

"Anything playing?" He asked the young man in the box office.

"Yes, sir. Carmen. It is sung in French."

"Excellent, two tickets to see that."

The employee looked the two of them over disdainfully. Neither of them were wearing formal attire, they looked better suited to the cinema or the local bar. "There is only twenty minutes of Carmen left I'm afraid, sir."

Tony snorted, smirking as he looked back at 'Steve'. "Yeah, that's more than enough. Trust me."

"I'm afraid I can't let you in, sir. It would interrupt the show. And, well… I think we both know your type don't really belong here." He said with a derogatory laugh.

Tony's eyebrows shot up immediately. "Excuse me? I'm a billionaire. This building was _made_ for my type." The guy clearly wasn't buying it. "You have no idea who I am, do you? I'm Tony Stark."

The employee's patience was draining. "Who?" He asked tiredly.

"Tony Stark! I own Stark Tower!" He said, searching the guy's face for any trace of recognition. "I'm friggin' Iron Man!"

The cashier just let his head slump in his hand, wondering how long they were going to continue wasting his time as he looked from Tony to Loki. Suddenly, his hand slapped down on the counter. "Hey, wait, are you Captain America?!" He asked, jumping up excitedly.

Tony's jaw dropped, looking from Loki to the dim employee in front of him. Holding his hands out in the universal sign language for 'what the fuck'. Loki looked over his shoulder briefly, before remembering where he was and grinning.

"Why yes, son. I am." He grinned, stepping forward.

"Actually he's not." Tony said, folding his arms like a child that had been told 'no' after losing the argument 'but all my friends have got one'. "He's really the God of Mischief just in disguise so…"

"Oh, Tony." He laughed, moving closer still. "Do not tease the young man."

Tony rolled his eyes, leaning his back against the counter, mumbling to himself. "Most people say '**don't**' not '**do not**'."

"Please _don't_ mind my friend." Steve said, winking at the cashier. Tony scoffed, smirking despite himself.

"Oh my God, man, you're so cool!" The guy said, showing his age as the manner he was paid to adopt had clearly been lost in the nether. "Can I have your autograph?"

Loki's lips parted as he stopped to think, routing through his memory in the hope of finding a definition lurking there somewhere. "Um… I'm afraid I left it at home."

Tony snorted. Loki glanced at him nervously, wondering what the hell he'd said wrong.

"Here, use this." The employee said, handing him a pen and slipping a piece of paper through the opening of the glass case.

Loki's mouth opened again as he picked up the pen, hesitating and glancing at Tony for help. Tony just stood with a bemused smile on his face and one eyebrow raised as if to say 'your move, Captain America'. Loki looked back to the eager employee and used the best impression of Steve he could muster, hoping that any mistakes he made would be overlooked due to his convincing performance. He gave the patented Captain America Smile he'd seen all over posters. "Thank you peasant, the gift is much appreciated. Are such items hard to come by for your people?"

Tony let out a loud laugh but it was fake. He made a big show of nudging Loki playfully. "Oh Cap, you're so funny!" He said loudly, before putting his lips next to Loki's ear and muttering to him in a small voice. "If you want him to let us in just write your name on that paper for him."

Luckily for him, the cashier was completely star-struck and doubled over laughing like someone had just told him the funniest joke in existence. Loki glanced at Tony, who pulled a funny face in the general direction of the fanboy and Loki smirked as he wrote 'Steve Rogers' on the paper.

"So, about those tickets…" Tony prompted. The employee allowed him to pay and handed them over.

Tony led them to their seats and Loki sat uncomfortably, watching the performance. His brow knit. "This is what you expected of Thor?"

Tony laughed. "What, you can't see it?"

Loki grinned in return, sinking his head into his hand as he laughed. "This is painful."

"Yeah, not their best performance I'll give you that."

"You have been to this show before?"

"Yep. Pepper drags me here. She watches; I generally sleep."

Loki let out another cackle, which was almost terrifying when it came from Captain America's mouth but Tony was already growing used to it. Suddenly, without saying anything, Loki rose from his seat and started walking down the aisle.

"Where are you going?" Tony called after him, to the disgust of the couple sitting in front of him. Loki just winked and left him there alone.

Tony wasn't quite sure what to make of that. His immediate thought was 'he does know they don't have a popcorn stand in this place, right?' But still, if Loki had just decided to leave… then it wasn't his problem anymore, was it? Give it a week, he could pretend he'd imagined the whole thing and go back to his life unhindered. The God of Tantrums would be someone else's problem.

That's what he told himself but truthfully he was disappointed. He was almost a bit annoyed. Because now… he had to suffer through fifteen minutes of opera by himself. He clenched his fist and immediately hissed painfully. The lighting was too dim to be able to see what was wrong but when he brushed his thumb against his fingers he felt something slick that could have only been blood. It seemed that whatever it was that Loki had done to him, the numbness was beginning to wear off. Great. Now he had to come up with a plausible excuse to give Pepper… or an appropriate failsafe distraction. He'd already made her his successor… he couldn't use _that_ one again.

As he was musing this, the stage lights flickered. In true 'the show must go on' style, the singer didn't falter at all. They flickered again. Then the spotlight moved so it was directly in her eyes. The look on her face was hilarious and Tony couldn't help snorting rather loudly. They needed to hire a lighting guy that wouldn't drink on the job – or maybe he'd just fallen asleep from boredom as Tony would be doing given another couple of minutes of this rubbish.

The guy had clearly realised his mistake and was trying to fix it, resulting in the spotlight oscillating back and forth across her face. Tony watched the spectacle, one eyebrow raised in amusement, pressing a tender hand against his lips to try and hold back the laughter. He almost felt like it had been worth the price tag just to watch this one screw up, not that a few hundred dollars mattered to someone like him.

Then the lights failed completely and the opera hall was left in darkness. The band couldn't see their music sheets anymore so stopped playing. Tony couldn't see what the singer was doing but she trailed off into awkward silence and said nothing. He was desperate to do his sarcastic golf-clap but his hands were starting to burn.

The audience started whispering amongst each other. Tony heard the words 'scandal' and 'refund' drop into hushed conversations a few times and he rolled his eyes. Such petty lives… it was times like these he was so grateful he was surrounded by technology and not these idiots. He was about to rise up from his seat – people couldn't exactly complain about him interrupting their blindness – when all hell broke loose.

There was a petrifying scream. It was almost inhuman, it sounded so raw and agonized, as though someone was being killed in the most painful ways imaginable. A lot of the people around him screamed too – one man started crying hysterically. Somewhere near the front row a woman called out above everyone. "Are you okay?"

Tony sat back down in his chair, propping his feat up on the seat in front of him and really, _really_ wishing he had popcorn. Even some nachos would be good. Hell, he'd settle for candy floss. Nah, not really, he hated candy floss. A corndog though…

The next wave started in a soft, almost angelic, breathy whisper. "Get out." The words repeated themselves over and over again until they were indecipherable – _getoutgetoutgetoutgetoutGETO UTGETOUTGETOUT – _growing louder and louder until it turned back into a long, head splitting scream again. The lights flashed red and illuminated on the stage was the black silhouette of a figure, which caused the singer to shriek and start scrambling around when the darkness returned. The lights kept flashing and each time, there was another dark figure – sometimes on stage, sometimes in the aisle – and the only sound anyone could hear over the ringing of their ears was the sound of the others sobbing like lost children, crying out that they were going to die.

The finale was just one, brutal word that echoed all around the hall, louder than any human could have hoped to achieve. It was as though it was coming from the walls, as it had no definite source. Just one word dragged out for what felt like minutes – "RUN."

And everyone did, jumping over seats in tuxedos and silk dresses, pushing others out of their way and dragging people down by their hair. Everyone except Tony.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Sorry this one took a while guys, inspiration was running a little low. I had such sweet feedback for this on Tumblr today though, that I managed to finish it up and update tonight :)_

_Obligatory Loki review quote because I have waaaaaaay too much fun with these:_

_**Barton:**__ Sir, her inspiration is stalling. She's about to get writer's block and leave us another week without an update. She means to abandon us._

_**Fury:**__ Like the unfinished fanfics of old._

_**Selvig:**__ He's right. The update took longer this time. We've got maybe two weeks before the next chapter._

_**Loki:**__ Review then._


	4. The Proof

"You aren't afraid?" Loki asked, stepping out of the shadows into the now empty opera hall. He wasn't dressed as Steve anymore, he looked like himself – in a suit most of the snobs that had just run screaming from the building would have sold their soul for. Tony guessed he must have fucked up the security cameras in here as well.

"Afraid of your party tricks?" Tony scoffed, getting to his feet. "That was the most entertaining thing to happen all night."

Loki smirked, tipping his head as if to express gratitude for an imaginary round of applause.

"It would be better – press-wise – if I wasn't here when the cops turn up."

"So what are you proposing?" Loki asked, turning as Tony walked past him and heading out of the hall.

"No, don't get too comfortable Blue, I haven't bought the ring yet." He said and Loki frowned, not understanding the reference. Tony rolled his eyes. It was annoying when people couldn't keep up with his wit. "You do know you're not staying at mine tonight, right?"

"You make out like you have a choice in the matter, _Anthony_."

Tony's eye twitched but he didn't complain about the use of his name – because 'Blue' was staying and he was stubborn. Loki morphed back into Steve as they exited the hall and walked back into the parking lot. "How long are you planning on burdening me with your presence exactly? Do I need to make a celebratory meal, maybe invite a few guests round?"

"Oh, that is a _perfect _idea!" Loki grinned and Tony's eyebrows rose incredulously.

"What?"

"That's brilliant. 'Captain America moves in with Iron Man to form the world's mightiest house mates'. I like it. You should invite the Eye-patch. He did miss out on that awful Shawarma after all."

"No, it was a _joke_." Tony clarified, becoming steadily more horrified as he unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat.

"Oh, I'm aware of your original intentions. That changes nothing. If you refuse to organise it, I'm sure Ms. Potts would be more than happy to oblige, if only to exact revenge on you for this evening."

Tony froze, speechless, key stuck in midair halfway to the ignition. "You know, I'm really starting to hate you right now." He said, roughly grabbing hold of the steering wheel and immediately grimacing.

"What is it?" Loki asked, his brow knitting.

"It's nothing."

"Do not attempt to lie to me. It does not work." Loki stated, grabbing Tony's wrist and turning his hand over.

It was an ugly sight. His fingers and palm were coated in blood and blisters, swollen and raw. Tony rolled his eyes and looked away tiredly.

"I can fix this." Loki muttered but Tony snatched his hand away before he got the chance.

"Umm… _no_. You were the one that caused the damage in the first place." Tony argued, resting his hands gingerly on the steering wheel. Loki observed him for a moment, before leaning back in his seat and staring ahead.

"If that is what you wish. I certainly wouldn't want to rob you of the chance for some attention."

Tony grit his teeth, trying to brace himself and remain calm but his frustration was just growing by the second. "Attention?"

"From Ms. Potts. I'm assuming that's why you don't want me to fix it. So you can show her and she will take pity on you."

"_Pity_?!" Tony spat back, turning towards him. 'Steve' smirked, but Tony was too angry to realise he was being played at that point. "I don't want… Wh…" He was so furious he could barely speak.

"Then let me fix it. It is no trouble to me if you are hazardous behind the wheel but unlike me you are not immortal – and you have no armour."

He grit his teeth, eyes narrowing. Loki was right though, he was in agony. Instead of continuing their pointless argument he just rolled his eyes. "Fine." He said, holding his hands out.

Loki sat up and turned towards him, pulling his hands closer to better examine the wounds. He glanced at Tony, who would have been doing a brilliant job of looking indifferent if it had not been Loki sat opposite him – the God of lies.

"This may feel cold." Loki said, pressing the tips of his fingers on Tony's wrist and pressing their palms flat together. He quickly glanced around to ensure there was no one looking and then he dragged his hand over Tony's as though he was wiping it. A faint gold light shone between them but Loki managed to hide most of it from view by cupping his other hand over it.

It was mostly healed but there were still some small lacerations he'd missed, so he went back, stroking each in turn with his fingertips. He was bent over, staring unblinkingly it his work, prone to perfectionism when it came to his magic. He wasn't paying attention to anything around them, focused entirely on Tony's hand until he was satisfied. When he looked up, he found Tony staring at him. His expression was far from neutral, but Loki couldn't decipher what it meant.

"I've done that hand." He said, and Tony pulled it back to examine it, splaying and flexing his fingers. He said nothing but held his other hand out. Loki made to lean over it again but Tony stopped him, holding his hand high and ducking his head slightly so his palm was at eye level. "I want to watch."

Loki frowned, which was less endearing on Captain America's face – if anything it looked comical. "Why?"

"You mean aside from being attracted to pretty gold lights? It's the genius in me. I have to examine everything."

Loki's eyes narrowed slightly and he looked down uncomfortably. This felt akin to a critique and he'd never had his magical talent scrutinised before. He shook his head before standing with one foot on the seat. Tony looked at it horrified and Loki grinned widely. "You'll miss it." He stated bluntly, trying to keep the laughter from his voice.

Tony reluctantly drew his eyes back to his palm. Loki made to cup his hand over it again but Tony grabbed hold of his wrist and didn't let go. "Did you not just hear me say I wanted to watch?"

Loki clenched his jaw, taking a more observant glance around the parking lot to ensure they were definitely alone. He rolled his eyes and let out an irritable sigh, tilting his head and staring at his wrist still in Tony's clutches. "Are you at least going to let me hold your hand steady?" Loki asked, his eyes meeting Tony's.

They held each other's gaze for a long time, neither speaking but it wasn't awkward. It was more like a staring contest, neither of them willing to back down, each sizing the other up. Tony let out a sharp breathy laugh and released the God, who pulled his eyes back to Stark's hand, cradling it so he could get a tight grip on it. With one last check of their solitude, Loki started at the wrist joint, drawing his hand all the way down to the tips of Tony's fingers.

Tony watched every moment with relish, trying to work out the science behind it. Was it light or vapour or something else entirely? How was it controlled – was it through the nerves or muscle? And what effect exactly was it having on his palm? If he could harness that type of power he could potentially create the cure for all diseases… His eyes gleamed brightly as he drunk in every detail. He looked almost disappointed when it was over, looking at Loki who had a blonde brow raised.

"So, since you're immortal and you're going to be around for a while, would you mind if I dissect you?"

Loki pulled back, his brow creasing. The response had shocked him and he wasn't entirely sure if Tony was being serious. "I was expecting something more along the lines of… 'thank you'."

"Yeah, thank you, so can I dissect you?"

Loki's lips parted and he moved back farther, trying to figure out what the appropriate response was. "N-no…" He said slowly, still utterly confused.

"Well, couldn't hurt to ask." Tony said, taking a packet of gum from his pocket and popping a piece into his mouth as he turned on the engine. "Give it some thought; maybe you'll change your mind."

Loki paused awkwardly as Tony took them out of the parking lot. "What is that?" He asked, gesturing to the gum.

"Chewing gum. You want some?" He asked.

Loki hesitated. "Do I have to take it from your mouth?"

"No." Tony scoffed, giving him a bemused look. "You can have your own piece."

"And what do I do with it?"

"You chew it." Tony replied. "You just… chew it and don't swallow."

Loki paused again. "And what is its purpose?"

"It makes your breath smell nice. Look, do you want some or not?" Tony snapped, his patience draining. Loki accepted and Tony passed him the packet, keeping his eyes on the road. A few seconds later, Loki started coughing and spluttering. When Tony spared him a glance he saw Loki's eyes were watering, and the look of disgust on Captain America's face was priceless.

"How do I dispose of it?" Loki choked, his cheeks turning red.

"You don't like it?"

"I find it distasteful."

"Well then spit it out the side of the car." Tony told him. Loki stared outside and Tony moved to put some music on before the God interrupted him.

"I'm not doing that."

"What? Why not?" Tony frowned. Loki looked outside again for a moment before looking back at him.

"Because that behaviour is beneath me." He answered simply.

Tony rolled his eyes. "So just swallow it."

"I'd rather not."

Tony looked at him, one brow raised with a look on his face that said 'are you fucking kidding me right now?'

He stretched out his hand before the God, holding his palm out flat. "Put it in my hand." He sighed.

"But… It has been in my mouth."

"Loki, are you joking? Just put it in my fucking hand!"

After a brief pause, Loki obliged and did as he was told. "Where are we going?"

"Home." Tony answered without elaboration as he tossed the gum over the side of the car and wiped his hands on his pants.

"Stark tower?" Loki asked, his blonde brows furrowing.

"Yep, that's home." Tony answered.

The rest of the journey took place in awkward silence; Tony not admitting he was allowing Loki to stay and Loki not questioning it or thanking him. It was another one of their unspoken rules – in which to say it aloud would make it wrong. Instead, Tony put his music on at full volume and Loki winced but didn't complain, both of them staring in opposite directions throughout the rest of the journey.

The fact was that they'd both enjoyed themselves that night. They'd both had fun and they knew it. And that was wrong on so many levels – Loki was the enemy. They'd fought against each other. But the sense of betrayal to the others never came. Tony wasn't sure if it was because of Loki's disguise as Steve (doubtful, his voice had been his own since speaking to the employee at the opera) or if it was because he was as heartless as other people made out. As heartless as he believed himself to be.

Tony Stark, one of his father's _creations _so the man could continue his work beyond his own mortality rate. He's been nothing more than a burden – until he was old enough to work for his father. Only ever in the way. He was a child fucked up beyond all recognition. A man made from iron.

Maybe this was the proof.

* * *

Author's Note: _Thanks for all the reviews, they really mean a lot. I write because I know there are people that want to read this, and I only know you like it if you tell me! So thank you to the people that have ^^ let me see if I can think of another quote..._

**Thor:** Don't make us wait again.

**Tony:** Then don't read and run.

**Thor:** You have no idea what waiting does to us.

**Tony:** Is that because you haven't said?

**Thor:** ...

**Tony:** Doth the author know you liketh her tale?

**Thor:** This is beyond you, writer of fanfic. The readers will face many frustrations.

**Tony:** If you leave a review it's all yours. Until then, you'll just have to wait. Lurkers.

**Thor:** *Leaves an angry flood of reviews*

**JARVIS:** Inspiration at 400% capacity.

**Tony:** Well, how about that?

[I don't really make you wait without reviews. To be honest I've been feeling a bit mehhh lately, so inspiration hasn't really been hitting. Sorry guys. The reason I managed to get this one finished and uploaded is because I have a follower on Tumblr that reads this a lot, and she asked how I was getting on with it and mentioned how much she'd love to read it when she came home today, so I made a real effort to finish it on time for her. That said, I appreciate you all whether you comment or not, and I hope you're enjoying it!]


	5. Torture

_Steve was screaming. He was crying and he was shouting out for help. He was begging for Thor to take him home._

_Thor was crying. He wanted his brother. Steve was choking; he couldn't breathe. The other Gods looked at him with disgust. Thor was too blinded by his tears to see Steve being dragged away by bloodthirsty Asgardians so hell-bent on revenge that they didn't care who took the brunt of their fury. Phil's corpse was lying next to Thor, staring up at nothingness, his eyes rolling in his head. His teeth began to chatter and then his jaw started to rattle. The vibrations made their way from his skull to the rest of his body until his whole being seemed to be having some sort of excruciating seizure. He coughed blood._

Tony woke with a start, a sheen of sweat covering his body. "My apologies sir, it seemed you were having a nightmare."

"I was?" Tony asked. His brow furrowed, but he couldn't recall anything about his dream. His heart hammered in his chest. "Where's Loki?"

"Loki is in Asgard, sir." Jarvis replied.

"Oh right… yeah. What about Steve?"

"Steve is still asleep."

"Right. Okay. Good. Wake him up for me, will you?" Tony asked, not caring how strange that request might sound.

"Are you sure that's wise, sir?" Jarvis asked.

"Just do it." He answered, moving to get dressed.

His head pounded from last night's drinking session and he quickly moved to get dressed, before leaving the bedroom and stalking down the hallway.

What was he thinking? Surely this was a really bad idea. Loki had stayed the night in his home and Steve was trapped in Asgard. He _needed_ to do something.

Thinking quickly, he took a small screen out of his pocket and rode the lift up to the top floor: the room where Jarvis had been disabled. He hid it between a collection of crystal tumblers and began recording before riding the elevator back down.

He made his way to the kitchen, stunned to find Pepper already in there. It was five in the morning! Her brow furrowed when she saw him and she rolled her eyes, clearly still in a strop with him.

"Are you still mad about last night?"

"No, I'm up this early because I was_ really_ hoping to bump into you." She answered sarcastically, dumping herself down at the table and cradling her head, dark circles under her eyes. She looked paler than usual.

"Look... I don't remember much of what I said-"

"If you're planning on apologising without even knowing what it is you did then you can save your breath, you're wasting oxygen." She grit. Tony's eyebrows shot up but he didn't say anything. She wasn't the only one who could be angry. "I'll have toast today." He said to DumE, who knocked over a glass and smashed it in his eagerness to comply. "And you can clean that up."

"Steve, what are you doing awake so early?" Pepper asked, her voice softer than it had been when she was talking to Tony. He lifted his head and found the good captain standing in the doorway and was that - was he wearing _Tony's _clothes?!

He shook his head incredulously but decided not to say anything - irritating Pepper further was not in his schedule for the day. Unfortunately, Loki took it upon himself to land Tony into more trouble, as he knew it would. "Stark ordered Jarvis to wake me. It's no problem, really ma'am. I like to seize the day."

Pepper pursed her lips and shot a burning glare at Tony, who in turn scowled at Loki.

"Stark and I were talking last night. We thought it might be a good idea to have a celebratory meal together, to toast the Avengers' success. Most of them have moved out, but do you think we could round a few of them up?"

"Oh um... yeah! I thought... wasn't that what the Shawarma was about?" She asked, pointedly ignoring Tony now.

Suddenly, it came flooding back in a sea of nausea. The threat of dinner looming over them, Loki's chance to be as irritating as possible to ensure that Tony wouldn't be able to turn him in - not after following the facade with him. Tony knew that Loki was going to be very disappointed, but nowhere near as much as he was and that burned him. To Loki, this was all just a big joke, just a bit of fun... but to Tony, it sliced him open, leaving all his nerves revealed and raw, ready to be plucked and hacked at until he was nothing more than a mess to be cleaned up. He knew where this could lead... and yet he still hoped it wouldn't. He still hoped that they would sit down to eat, have a drink, have a laugh and then be able to forget the whole thing with just a few awkward words from Loki - but even that in itself could be fun. SHIELD were so stuck-up, it would at least break the monotony and might even make him laugh. He wanted it. But he knew too well... Loki was forcing him to face something he was desperate to ignore and the God had no idea.

"There are a lot of good people at SHIELD ma'am and they worked very hard. They may not have been on the battlefield, but I believe every single one of them is important. It isn't right that they should be forgotten. We should celebrate their bravery just as we did the bravery of the Avengers."

Tony rolled his eyes and looked away. He felt so bitter and lost inside, he felt like a child. He hadn't felt like this for a while now. He tried to avoid it at all costs... tried and had just failed. His toast popped up black and DumE sent the toaster hurtling to the floor in an attempt to pick it up. "OH FOR- THAT'S IT, I'M DONATING YOU TO A CITY COLLEGE! YOU'RE A USELESS PILE OF JUNK!" He yelled and then left the kitchen, abandoning the thought of breakfast. He shoved past 'Steve', not even sparing him a look as he made his way down to his own personal R&D department. He needed to fix something. Or break something. Or pretend he was doing something.

"I have noticed you have elevated stress patterns, sir. Can I assist you?" Jarvis asked.

"Does it LOOK like I need assisting?" Tony snapped back, looking through blueprints, all the plans he was working on. The new suit... one he could control mentally. He glanced over them and then threw the papers to the floor, burying his head in his hands.

"Steve is approaching, sir."

"Tell him I'm not in."

"Sir, the walls are made of glass. He is looking right at you."

Tony just buried his face even deeper into his hands, sinking down into his seat and running his hands through his hair. "Tell him to go home. Tell him he isn't wanted here. Tell him to leave me the fuck alone and stop trying to ruin my life."

"I detected insincerity in your voice patterns-"

"OH GOD DAMNIT JARVIS JUST OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!" He barked, his patience at last breaking.

The door unlocked itself and Loki looked concerned. He wasn't. He was playing the part of Steve, who _would_ be concerned. Tony felt like applauding him but even he'd had his fill of conflict... for now at least.

"I thought we agreed that the party was a good idea." He said in that phony American accent. "I didn't mean to aggravate you."

"Yes you did, of course you did. You blackmailed me! You _knew _I didn't want to do this."

"I was led to believe you weren't entirely sincere. I thought part of you assumed it could be fun."

The weirdest part is that Loki was right, part of him did. The very small part of him that wasn't him. The Iron Man part of him, not Tony Stark. Tony Stark knew. Every good part of him was contained inside his suit, and sometimes he couldn't tell the difference. "Yeah, well that was last night. We were drunk." He replied, his voice weak but admirably calm for someone that had woken up so distraught.

"I apologise." He said. "It isn't too late to cancel. I don't believe Pepper has sent any invitations yet."

"You really think that no matter what either of us says now it will stop Pepper from doing this? She'll do it because she knows I don't want to. If you tell her you don't want to she'll assume I got to you and won't believe you. Maybe you shouldn't open your goddamn mouth."

"Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" He grinned, and that smile looked much closer to Loki's own than it did to Steve's.

"I... that's not the point." He answered. "I'm kind of busy here."

"Yes, I can see." Loki answered, eyeing the blueprints all over the floor. His sarcasm was leaking through the Captain America facade and perhaps that was the only thing that stopped Tony kicking the blonde out of the room. The question was: _why_?

"I've heard that the best cure for a hangover is to continue drinking. Would you care to join me?" Loki asked, a small smile playing around his face. He was only making half of an effort to act like Steve. Maybe he knew that it wasn't Steve Tony needed at that moment.

"I didn't realise Captain Rogers approved of binge drinking." He replied, but stood up anyway, eyeing the mess and deciding he couldn't be bothered to deal with it.

"Well, even Captain America has to let his hair down sometimes." Loki answered and together they rode the elevator all the way to the top floor.

As soon as they stepped out Loki morphed back into himself, voice and all. He glanced around the room; it seemed so much bigger in the daylight. He could see their half-empty glasses from the night before and smirked to himself. "I think I have never seen you in such a foul mood. Is this the effect alcohol has on you? Perhaps you should abstain."

"Says the guy that threw me off the tallest building in New York because his glowstick didn't work."

"It was your insinuation that irked me, honestly." He admitted, still looking around the room, not at Tony.

"Well... I don't know what kind of problems you have down there but-"

"Do not tempt me to throw you from the roof again, Anthony."

It was funny that in that moment - when he was most infuriated - was the moment he didn't mind the use of his full name. But more than that, it actually felt like a comfort. It wasn't Tony Stark, the alcoholic or playboy or billionaire or unwanted son and it wasn't Iron Man, the questionable hero. It was just... new. Nobody called him that. It was fresh... it was almost clean.

"So... looking forward to the party tonight?" Tony asked, smirking without any real humour. He actually seemed quite dejected.

"More than you are, it would seem..." Loki answered, trailing off as something caught his eye. He'd found the recording device and finally turned back to Tony, holding it in the air. "What is this?"

Tony just shrugged because in that moment, he really didn't care. He didn't care about trying to film Loki as evidence. He didn't care about the moral dilemma and turning him in. He cared about none of it, perhaps because at a time when he felt so awful, Steve turning into Loki was the best thing that happened to him. And wasn't that just a mindfuck in itself? "I was planning on filming you so I could use it to blackmail you or something." He answered nonchalantly, slumping down in a chair and picking up the nearest glass, swirling around the now warm remains of Guinness and absinthe. It smelt lethal. "Just destroy it or whatever."

Loki frowned, trying to see past Tony's bluff - if there _was_ one? He couldn't decipher it so he snapped the screen in two and let the fragmented remains crumble in his palm before letting the dust and shards that remained fall to the floor, ever feasting on Tony's reaction. Tony just raised one eyebrow as if to say 'what, you thought I was kidding?'

Loki was left even more confused than before because why go to the trouble of setting up a hidden recording device and then decide against it? To even allow Loki to destroy it without caring the slightest bit? It made no sense and Loki had to wonder when he'd hidden it, and what had changed between that moment and now.

"I don't understand what is going through your mind." Loki admitted, and Tony admired him for the blunt honesty.

"To be honest, Blue, neither do I."

His phone buzzed in his pocket. An automated message from Jarvis.

Miss Potts has sent the invitation to SHIELD HQ. Upstairs surveillance still shut down.

He didn't bother replying. It was only a matter of time now and he knew it. "What is it?" Loki asked.

"Message from Jarvis. Invites have been sent out. Congratulations." He added sarcastically before slipping his phone back into his pocket.

Loki frowned, because he wasn't certain if he was missing some obvious Midgardian reference he was just unable to understand or if Tony was actually being as confusing as he thought. "Thank you..." Loki answered, letting the words trail off into a half-question. Tony stared at the contents of the glass as though he was considering drinking it. "It smells awful."

"Perhaps, but it tastes like redemption." Loki mused, walking over to the windows to admire the view from outside. The sky was a subtle pink colour as the sun rose. Because of that, he missed Tony's reaction completely.

It tastes like redemption... but how? Tony was already on his feet, mixing the drink as he'd seen Loki do last night. It was perhaps the most trivial moment he'd been grateful for being a genius - he was able to remember the exact ratio of absinthe to Guinness he'd seen Loki pour. He hadn't noticed Loki turn back towards him slightly, looking over his shoulder. He completely missed the suspicious and mildly concerned look written over Loki's features because Tony's eyes were on the murky liquid he was tipping down his throat.

He winced, then coughed and then spluttered. It didn't taste much better than it smelt... but then it did. It was bizarre. The Guinness left a thick, heavy, bitter taste in his mouth but then the absinthe lingered long after he'd swallowed, burning it away - burning everything, like he'd just tried the purest, cleanest form of mouthwash. His mouth felt fresh. Renewed. And then he understood what Loki meant. It was strangely reminiscent of the act of being reborn. Redeemed.

It was only then he paused to think how strange Loki's description had been. Tony knew why _he_ was drinking, but why would Loki need redemption? He was meant to be the evil guy that dominated the world and loved it. Tony couldn't imagine anyone that ought to be less interested in redemption - unless the daddy issues were coming into play. In fact, for a genius he realised he really didn't know as much about Loki as he should. He'd have to find a moment alone, away from the God so that he could search the web for any scraps of information he could find. He'd need them sooner rather than later at this rate.

"So is that what you desire?" Loki asked, his voice an octave lower as he moved from the window and over to the bar where Tony stood. "I believe that is one of the only words I could have used to describe this drink that would give you cause to immediately pour one for your own. What does Tony Stark want with redemption?"

"Save your psychoanalysis, Blue." He said, taking another swig and relishing the purifying burn. "And I thought you called me Anthony?"

"I thought you greatly disliked that name, _Anthony_."

"Yeah... Perhaps I changed my mind." He shrugged, trying to play it off as though he was indifferent.

Loki stared at him for a long moment, occasionally glancing at the glass in his hands and then back to study his face. "I'm leaving tonight."

"What? Where are you going?" Tony blurted out without a moment's hesitation. Nor did he think to hide the disappointment from his face. He was too open, too raw, those nerves still exposed and easy to target. He hesitated then, realising himself how pathetic his impulsiveness had left him sounding. He looked down at the deep black poison in his glass, trying to think of some witty remark or sarcastic comment that could save him. The pause only grew more awkward.

"You would have me stay?" Loki asked and his grin was split wide because he knew - that's why he'd said it. He'd been bluffing entirely; Loki had no plans to go anywhere. But now he knew that Tony had no plans to make him leave either. They both knew it and yet Loki couldn't help pushing it further, trying to make Tony say the words out loud.

Tony shrugged and frowned, slamming the glass down on the bar before walking out of Loki's line of sight. "Do what you want, Reindeer games."

Tony sat at his desk, screens surrounding him. Pepper had stolen Captain America, which was perfect .Tony assumed she'd hoped to use it as some form of punishment by trying to make him jealous something but really, that was exactly what he needed. He didn't have enough information and without the facts he was weak. Time to find out more about this guest of his.

He did a simple search for the original Norse mythology, opening any promising website in a separate screen. He was adept at taking all the information surrounding him in at once, it was a talent he relied on when wearing the suit.

"Would you look at that... he has children." Tony mused, his eyes narrowing as he took a closer look. "Either children... or a zoo."

It shouldn't be surprising. No, scratch that, it was definitely surprising. The subzero alien monster was clearly not as 'normal' as his brother, but how do you cross an ice man with a giant and get a wolf, or a giant serpent or a half-decomposed girl? And he gave birth to an _eight-legged horse_?! Apparently turning into a female (or a different species, it would seem) was just one of Loki's many talents. It made being able to read ten screens at once seem a bit basic.

When he dug deeper, he realised things weren't as simple or as humourous as they'd originally seemed. Because Loki had a wife. Past tense. He'd had a wife, a son, the wolf, the serpent and they had all gone. His daughter had literally become the ruler of Hel thanks to Odin... something called Ragnarok had happened, some sort of war and Loki had lost most of his family through that.

Tony sat back, still flicking through the pages. Jarvis was being suspiciously quiet, but Tony was too involved with the information in front of him to think of much else.

He thought _his_ dad had been bad. There was something to telling a child to 'get over' the death of his puppy and then proceed to yell at him for grieving... but then again, his dad hadn't killed the dog and tied Tony up with its intestines. Suddenly, he was beginning to think he understood why Thor tried to help Loki relentlessly - despite everything. Because Thor knew what Loki had been through and the golden child himself had never faced such trials or injustice.

It gave Tony an ace up his sleeve though. _Perhaps._.. or perhaps not. After all, Barton had given Loki a rundown of all of them when he was brainwashed - for all Tony knew, Loki could know all about his _own_ dark past too. There were things he didn't want to come to light; more than just his father. Weaknesses he couldn't afford to share; weapons that could be used against him that he wouldn't even allow Pepper to know.

He wondered if it would be possible to find out how much Loki knew about him... a heart to heart was out of the question, since Loki was the God of Liars. He could contact Clint but after tonight the humiliation would be too great. Maybe Fury would know?

But how could he justify asking for it? What valid reason could he have for wanting to know how much dirt Loki had on him, when the God was supposedly captive in Asgard? Why now, when he'd shown absolutely no interest before?

It might take some time but he was determined to find a way. He just had to win the God's trust somehow. He could play him at his own game? No, that wouldn't work; they needed to get off the battlefield.

"If you're this stupid, you're going back to bed..." He chastised himself aloud, because the answer was obvious. All he had to do was go along with the charade; not reveal him and let him stay. The events earlier had been a perfect example. Loki found the recording device and had thought Tony was bluffing - Tony proved he wasn't. It was only then that Loki trusted him enough to test him.

But that was still something he didn't want to think about. Why _had_ his mind changed? Why did he want Loki to stay? He couldn't admit it to anyone, not even himself under normal circumstances but down here, in his private room with Loki's past splayed around him, he could admit it to himself here. He wanted Loki to stay.

He hadn't given much thought as to what the reason could be. Probably because he didn't want to stumble over a part of himself he was trying to bury from sight. He only had the illusion of friends. Perhaps Loki had been right last night; he built robots for companionship. He only had the people that worked for him and the nameless, faceless people he slept with and couldn't remember two days later.

But Loki was a lot like him. Full-tilt diva, wanting his name in lights. It hadn't been lost on him when he'd described Loki like that that he may as well have been describing himself. Loki was fun. If he wasn't on the wrong side, they would have been inseparable. He could abide Steve. He liked Bruce, Bruce understood science. But Bruce felt too much guilt and there was a purity to him that made Tony feel inferior. Tony kept his guilt hidden. If he thought he was poisoning the world, then he'd drink and sleep around and probably cause millions of dollars in damages. When Bruce thought the same, he put a gun in his mouth. Tony knew who the better man was.

But Loki was no saint and maybe that's why it was easier to open up around him. Because there wasn't anything Loki could say to him that he wouldn't be able to find a comeback for. They had tallied the same number of sins. He was more equal to Loki than any of the others... and wasn't that the problem?

With a swipe of his hand, he got rid of all the data on Loki and sat back in his chair, probing himself. He thought about Steve, stuck in Asgard. Maybe he'd found himself a girlfriend. No, wrong train of thought. Steve wasn't on vacation, he'd been kidnapped - albeit unknowingly on Thor's part - while Loki was wandering around free; able to cause havoc in the world he'd tried to dominate only a week ago.

So why didn't he care? Why did he honestly not feel an ounce of guilt? He felt ashamed for not feeling guilty, but other than that he couldn't bring himself to worry about Steve. Or Loki. Or the world. He couldn't bring himself to care about any of it. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted his trophy: _Proof that Tony Stark has a heart._

He needed a drink.

* * *

_A/N: Blehh sorry for the delay, this has been in editing for ages. Hopefully then length will make up for it a bit. By the way, if anyone was interested in the chapter titles, they're all names of Jill Tracy songs. They make more sense along with the music.  
_

**Fury:** There was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable readers, so when the author needed them, they'd be able to destroy her procrastination like she never could.


End file.
